Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han 276 pages

Put this on your must read list for summer. This is the story of the pivotal summer in 15 year old Belly's life. Each summer she, her brother and mother share a summer house with her mother's best friend's family. She, the only girl hangs with the three guys: her brother, Jeremiah and Conrad. Susannah announced years ago that she was sure Belly would end up with one of her sons, she just wasn't sure which one. Belly has long harbored a crush on Conrad, the older and somewhat moody son who has always treated her as a pest; Jeremiah seemed happy to be her best friend. This summer seems magical, she gets her first boyfriend, a nice safe boy, Cam. Still not satisfied, she is drawn to the mercurial Conrad and doesn't quite understand the sad undercurrent at the summer home. Susannah's cancer has returned, but she tries to hide it from all except Belly's mom. Flashbacks fill the reader in on past summers. Utterly romantic and bittersweet coming of age story.
I have always hoped that in my next life, I will have a summer beach home. This is a story to savor in a chair or hammock surrounded by sand and the sound of lapping waves.

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